On the Edge
The Art of Risking Everything
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3.9 • 50 Ratings
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
The Instant New York Times Bestseller
“Engaging and entertaining… a glimpse of the economy of the future.” —Tim Wu, New York Times Book Review
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Signal and the Noise, the definitive guide to our era of risk—and the players raising the stakes
In a world wired for chaos, these players are rewriting the rules. High-stakes, high-IQ, and often high on their own mythologies, they are driving the next era of finance, tech, and politics. But what happens when their bets go too far?
Nate Silver’s On The Edge reveals the hidden world of the River. It is the domain of gamblers and like-minded folks who move markets and change the fabric of society: poker legends, hedge fund titans, crypto speculators, and even those willing to bet the world’s future on AI. They are obsessives with a deep hunger for volatility and an unrelenting desire to exploit every edge over the rest of us. Silver embeds with them, competing in the World Series of Poker, visiting Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX compound, and attending wild Miami yacht parties at the height of the crypto bubble.
On the Edge is a front-row seat to a new world order built on risk, math, and ambition—a gripping ride through the minds shaping your future, whether you like it or not.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this free-wheeling outing, statistician and professional poker player Silver (The Signal and the Noise) explores what he calls "the River": people who make a living taking risks, from professional gamblers to venture capitalists. He pegs this group as a potent socioeconomic type—risk-tolerant, market-oriented, individualistic, contrarian—in opposition to "the Village," the risk-averse realm of government bureaucrats and academics. Silver opens with a cognitive analysis of poker, which requires both computer-like calculation and empathic perceptiveness; then he moves on to a dissection of the mentalities of risk-taking Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Silver aims not just to serve as a "tour guide to the River" for outsiders but as a sage counselor to fellow "Riverians," whose triumphs Silver cautions are at risk from too much risk; FTX fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried is presented here as a cautionary tale against a recklessness that shades too far into nihilism (he once said he would wager the destruction of the world on a coin toss). While colorful and enlightening, Silver's narrative disconcerts with its blitheness about the system it's describing—a society built on gambling, for gamblers ("Those of us who understand the algorithms hold the trump cards"). It's eye-opening, but not quite as intended.
Customer Reviews
Arghh!
Good God, it just goes on and on. I really tried.
Awful
I can’t believe I wasted time reading utter gibberish.